Rare Disease Day 2019

Today is Rare Disease Day! The theme for this year is #ShowYourStripes, which I love because of its reference to the term “zebra”, which many of us with rare disorders call ourselves. This comes from the old phrase physicians turn to when dealing with patients; “when you hear hoofprints, think ‘horse’, not ‘zebra’.” This mindset (while reasonable) …

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Setting goals for 2019

It may seem a little silly for someone who struggles with a disability to "set goals". I think that for the most part, society expects disabled individuals to just sit at home and do nothing. They can't work. They can't do the same things neurotypical folks can do, so why would they focus on setting …

The Abortion Debate

There is a lot of discourse online about abortion access. I have been doing my damndest not to get involved, but it’s getting so hard seeing people that I know and love making terribly ignorant comments and completely demonizing women who needed to have abortions done. A year or so ago, I wanted to kill …

Late Night Confessions

It's going on 11pm. I've been contemplating sleep since 8. Rather than catching some sweet sweet "Z"s however, my mind is fixated on a regret I have, and now I feel the need to write about it so I can get this off my chest. I regret that I never reported one of my ex-bosses …

My Disability Hearing

Yesterday was one of my most stressful days in a very long time, but it was also a day filled with the joy of relief that the hearing was over, no longer looming over my head with fears that I might somehow ruin everything I have been working for over the last year and a …

Breakdown and a Revelation

I recently came to a revelation. I have known for a long time now that I am disabled, and because of this, I am unable to work. I tried to work twice, and both times, I had to quit because of my poor health. The second time, I wound up in the hospital and I …

Why I choose to fight ignorance with patience

I've been a chronic illness advocate for quite a while now, and along the way I have encountered a wide variety of folks from all different backgrounds and levels of understanding about what it's like to be chronically ill or to live with a disability. Along the way, I have made connections with other chronic …

I tried. (Puppy love VS Chronic Illness)

Puppies. ❤ They are adorable, entertaining, and in this case, intelligent, balls of energy. They can also grow up to be the perfect service dog and companion, under the right circumstances. That was my hope when Justin and I adopted Kubrow, a 9 week-old pure-blooded German Shepherd puppy, last Friday. His boss at work told him …

I am Disabled

Up until about a year or so ago, I didn’t call myself “disabled”. There was a stigma attached to that word that made me uncomfortable, so I avoided it. I think the thing that bothered me most, is I didn’t feel like I was qualified for the term, if that makes any sense. When I …

Attention Parents with Disabilities:

Foster Moms and Dads- Can we talk about something kinda heavy really quick? I really want to adopt eventually. Justin does, too. We can’t have children of our own because my health is too poor for me to become pregnant. I love kids, and I think Justin and I will be excellent parents. The thing …